In the normal course of a functioning ecosystem, plants, insects, and diseases all play a part in a harmonious and healthy cycle. But what happens when one population or species becomes unnaturally pervasive? A rapidly growing or dominating species can become a real problem resulting in ecosystem degradation and even species extinction. Typically, the most … Continued
An office job in a skyscraper might appeal to some people, but others would prefer a job that doesn’t require prolonged desk-sitting. Many articles, including this one from Harvard University, outline the negative health effects of prolonged sitting. Having a job that allows you to be active while working will help you to avoid the downsides of sitting. If you want to … Continued
If you plan to find a job this summer and you love to be outside (particularly in the forest), you have come to the right place. Alberta offers forestry positions for high school students, college and university students, and graduates. Some of these positions are already open for application, so now is the time to start your … Continued
Isn’t it interesting how we can feel better just by walking around in a park or going for a nature hike? Some studies are demonstrating that being close to trees can improve our mental and physical well-being. Green Happiness A study published this year out of Stanford University showed improved happiness and attentiveness after participants … Continued
National Forest Week takes place September 20 – 26 and we have forestry professionals all over Alberta who have volunteered to speak to students about forestry. Who can request a presentation? Grade 1 – 12 teachers. Presentations are great for Science and Outdoor Education classes. Who are the presenters? Presenters are forestry professionals and educators … Continued
Looking for a job where you are guaranteed to spend time in the outdoors? Consider becoming a natural resource technologist. A natural resource technologist (NRT) has a strong interest in the outdoors. As an NRT you are pretty well guaranteed to be a jack-of-all-trades outdoors person. NRTs are equipped with the tools to tackle the … Continued
Take a look at this picture. How many people do you think it took to make this house? For one, it took a great architect! But aside from that, it required a fair amount of wood to build. But getting wood to build a house isn’t just as simple as taking a trip to Home … Continued
What is the first step towards responsible resource management? Should we start with a plan, or get boots on the ground to suss out the situation? Should we first outline some rules of conduct, or initiate with research? What happens when a curve ball like the mountain pine beetle is thrown in? The question of … Continued
What is Alberta Envirothon? It’s an incredible opportunity for high school students to demonstrate their understanding of the environment. Teams consisting of six students compete head to head on matters of the environment. Topics include Soils/Land use/Agriculture, Forestry, Aquatic Ecology, and Wildlife, as well as an annual Current Environmental Issue. This year’s Current Environmental Issue … Continued
Meet Dylan, an Edmonton-area Grade 12 student who has recently decided that forestry is the career path he wants to pursue. Quick Facts about Dylan Three words that describe you: Adventurous, compassionate, and personable. Favourite subjects in school: Chemistry and woodshop; I spend most of my time in the woodshop. Favourite tunes: I enjoy most genres of … Continued
Our forest is important to everyone. If you like camping, hiking, or hunting, you use the forest. If you like reading books, magazines, or newspapers, you rely on forest products. If you live in a house, your home is probably built with a wood frame. And the forest is important to more than just people. Animals, … Continued
Are you the type of person who thinks about the future of our environment? Do you want to participate in making a plan that ensures that we will always have thriving forests in Alberta? Foresters do just this. There are different kinds of foresters who work together to ensure a balance between the needs of … Continued
This week, the winners of the 2015 Prairie Wood Design Awards were announced. The winning designers and engineers were recognized at a beautiful gala on Tuesday at the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton. The winning projects were thoughtfully selected from over forty entries by this esteemed jury panel: Larry McFarland, Architect AIBC, Fellow RAIC, Principal, McFarland … Continued
Prior to writing her blog entry, “Wood Design Awards: Ann’s picks”, Ann approached me and asked if I would also pick my favorites and write an article on them. The premise was that we were to each keep our selections and articles secret from each other and then publicly reveal and compare. What a fun … Continued
The 2015 Prairie Wood Design Awards Gala will be taking place on March 17, and I’m excited to see the winning projects. In anticipation of this marvelous event, I have reviewed the nominations and chosen my favourites. Category: Interior Wood Design Showcase Building: University College of the North Location: Thompson, Manitoba Designer: Architecture 49 … Continued
Hey all you woodsmen and woodswomen, My name is Andre, and I’m here to give you the latest and greatest from the back forty. For those of you wondering where the back forty actually is, look no further than your back yard. Or at least beyond the back yard, and beyond the next farm field. … Continued
The forest products industry makes products that people use every day, like lumber, facial tissue, and diapers. But did you know that we can make plastic from wood? Thanks to researchers, many alternative forest products have been developed. For this Forestry Job Profile, I interviewed Laura McIlveen, a chemical engineer with Alberta Innovates Technology Futures. … Continued
When I speak to students and teachers at career fairs, they are often surprised to learn that there are loads of job opportunities in the forest industry right now. Our Job Postings page is consistently full of jobs with companies all over Alberta looking for millwrights, engineers, foresters, truck drivers, equipment operators, labourers… the list … Continued
National Forest Week is approaching (September 21 – 27) and we want to get forestry into your classroom! Foresters and Forest Technologists have a wealth of knowledge to share about a variety of forestry topics, including: Forest Management Sustainability Wildfire Invasive Species Forestry Careers Tree Identification Forestry professionals all over Canada have volunteered to visit … Continued
Sustainability means maintaining ecological balance. Detailed research and planning are required to maintain ecological balance in our forests. Let’s examine some of the steps taken to ensure sustainable forestry practices in Alberta. We will start with tree age. How do you measure a tree’s age? By counting the rings. Each ring is worth one year. … Continued